Wire mattress



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 (No Model.)

A. W. STEWART.

WIRE MATTRESS.

Patented Deo. 27,1881.

meses.

a. WMM

2 Sheets-Sheet; 2.

(No Model.)

A..W. STEWART.

WIREMATTRESS. 8

Patented Deo. 27,1881.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER W. STEWART, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WIRE MATTRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 251,482, dated December27, 1881.

Application tiled November 8, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALEXANDER W. STEW-ART,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,and acitizen ot' theUnited States, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Wire Mattresses or Bed-Bottoms, of which the followingis a full description, rei'erence being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in whichl Figure lis a top or plan view; Fig. 2, a sideelevation; Fig. 3, an enlarged detail, being a top or plan view, showingone of the connections between the end bar and mattress, the end bar andmattress being broken away; Fig. 4, a longitudinal section of the partsshown in Fig. 3 5 Figs. 5 and 6, enlarged details, showing amodification in the form of the connecting devices for the end piece andmattress.

The object of this invention is to attach what are known or termed wire7 mattresses or bedbottoms to the supporting-frame or end pieces in suchmanner as to enable the proper strain to be placed upon the fabric, andhave the attaching devices simple in construction and easily applied,and form a support for the mattress or hed-bottom, whether the same lieshorizontal or is in a folded condition, the attachment also being rm andunyielding and not liable to tear out or give way in use; and its natureconsists in providing a wire mattress or bottom .having its endsflattened and covered and protected by a binding of sheet metal or othermaterial 5 in providing a tie or strengthening-rod running through themattress tra-nsversely between the binding-strip and held in place byriveting or otherwise securing the binding to the mattress; in providinga secondary tie or strengthening-rod located transversely of thebinding-strip, and the outer edge thereof to receive and furnish asupport for the attaching eyes or hooks; in providing retaining andsustaining hooks and a coupling and tie rod and eyebolts for-attachingthe end of the mattress to the frame or support; and in the severalparts hereinafter set'forth, and specificallypointed out in the claimsas new.

-In the drawings, A represents the wire mattress or bed-bottom; B, thebinding-strips; C, the connecting links or hooks; D, the sustainingstrap or bar; E, the tightening or draw bolt or hook 5 F, thereceiving-uut, G, the eyebolts entering the end rails or support; H, thecoupling or tie rod; I, the end rails or supports;l J, a form of nutwhich can be used in connection with the eyebolt G to tighten or drawthe mattress to place 5 a, the flattened end of the mattress; al', therivets passing through the iiattened portion of the mattress and thebinding-strip; l), the tie or strengthening rod; b', the rivets passingthrough the mattress and binding-strip forward of the tie-rod; c, thetie or strengthening rod for attaching the hooks or links; c', theopenings in the binding-strip for passing the links or hooks around therod c; d, the eye or ring receiving the link or hook C; d the head orenlargement for the nut F; ff', crossbars forming stops for the nut F;e, the opening or eye at the end of the draw bolt or rod E; g, the eyeor opening of the eyebolt Gr; h, the flange or rim ot' the nut J; t',the body or receiving portion of the nut J; j, the opening or cavitythrough the rim and into the body or receiving portion i.

The wire mattress A may be made in any of the usual and well-knownforms, except that its ends are both compressed so as to form a fiatportion or surface, a, over which the binding-strips are placed, abinding-strip being used at each end, as shown in Fig. l. Thesebinding-strips may be made of sheet metal or other suitable materialwhich can be bent or otherwise formed into shape to furnish a perfectbinding for the ends. This binding may be formed of a'single piece ofmaterial turned or bent over, as shown, to form adjacent sides orsurfaces, between which the end of the mattress is passed, or it may beformed `of two independent pieces bent or turned to lap each other-atthe edge of the mattress. This binding is attached to the flattenedportion a by passing rivets a. through it andthe binding, so as tofirmly rivet the binding to the mattress end.

The rod b is passed transversely through the mattress between thebinding, and is held in place by rivets b passing through the bindingand the mattress just forward of the rod b, and this rod is for thepurpose of furnishing additional strength and resistance to the strainof the mattress in use, and relieves the rivets a from sustaining theentire strain.

The rod c islocated transversely of the bind- IOO iugstrip at the outeredge, and, as shown, is held in place by bringing the strip from whichthe binding is formed over and around and in close contact with the rod;but it may be locked or secured in some other suitable manner. This rodreceives one end of the link or hook C, the end of each hook beingpassed around the rod through an'opening, c,formed inthe bindingstripforward ofthe rod c. These hooks G may be formed, as shown, so as tohave an eye or opening at each end, and mayy be made of round iron orother suitable material, which can be formed into the shapes shown orother shapes, having eyes oropenings at both ends.

The frame or link D may be made of malleable iron `or other materialwhich can be cast or formed into shape to have a main or body portionwith a longitudinal recess and end portions, d d', one ot' which, d, hasan eye or opening by which the link or frame can be hooked on orattached to the hook or link C,

and the other end is enlarged somewhat, and has an opening therein toreceive the nut for the draw-bolt E.

Each nut F may have an exterior of the form shown, or other form adaptedto receive a wrench for turning the nut and drawing the fabric to place.As shown, the link or frame D has cross-barsff, located on oppositesides of the nut and of the frame, which cross-bars form stops againstwhich the nut F works.

The draw-bolt E has its shank 0r body screwthreaded to receive the nutF, and at one end is provided with an eye or opening, c, by means ofwhich it is attached to an eye, Gr, the shank of which enters the endrail or support, I, the eye G having a suitable opening, g, to receivethe eye d. The links or hooks G, frames or links F, draw-bolts E, andeyes Gr form the devices for attaching one end of the mattress to itsframe or support, and the other end of the mattress is attached to itsend or support by hooks C, similar to the corresponding hooks at theother end, and hooked to the rod c by passing one end around the rod andthrough the opening c', and attached at the other end to a coupling ortie rod,H,which rod passesthrough the eye or opening at this end of eachlink C and through the ends or openings of the eyes Gr, the shanks ofwhich enter the end rail. By this arrangement the mattress or bottom isattached to its end rail or supports at one end by the eyes G, couplingor tie rod H, and links or hooks C; and at the other end by the eyes Gr,draw bolts E, frames or links F, and links or hooks C; and as many ofthese devices as are required to furnish the necessary support andstrength are to be used, the number depending upon the width of themattress or bed-bottom. Themattress orbottom is drawn taut or strainedby turning thenut Fwitha wrench or other suitable device, shortening thebolt E and drawing the link or frame F toward the end rail or support,I, suspending the mattress or-bottom from or between the end rails orsupports, so

as to give any required degree of elasticity or strain; and by using thebinding-strips B in connection with the strengthening or tie rods b c itwill be seen that a great strain can he placed on the fabric withoutdanger of separating the strands at the end. This method of supportingand straining a mattress or bedbottom can be used for the variouspurposes and in the various places for which such mattresses orbed-bottoms are employed, and will be found especially adapted for usein what are known or termed folding beds,77 as it enables the fabric ormattress to be folded with the bedclothing inclosed, the hooks or linksturning or dropping down ont ofthe way, so as to give or furnishsuflicient room for the clothing.

For some purposes the secondary tie or strengthening rod need not beused, as the binding itself will be sufticiently strong to suspend andsupport the fabric; but where a great amount of strain is desired itwill be found best to use these tie or strengthening rods c.

In some cases the link or strap D, with the tightening-bolt E, can bedispensed with, and the necessary amount of strain ca n be provided forby the eyes G, and when so used the shank of the eyes enters ascrew-threaded opening formed in a nut, J, having a body or receivingportion, fi, and a flange or rim portion, h, with a central cavity,j, asshown in Figs. 5 and 6. The rim or lange h may bc formed as shown orotherwise, so as to receive a wrench by which it can be turned, andthebody or receiving portion of this nut is to be driven into the end railso as to tit somewhat tightly, and prevent its becoming misplaced ordropping out easily, and at the same time not interfere with the nutbeing turned to draw the fabric taut. Then this form of construction isused the hook or link C hooks directly into the 'eye or opening of G, asshown in Fig. 6.

Hooks secured rigidly to the binding-strip to receive the end d of thelink or frame D might be used,in which case the hooks orlinks C could bedispensed with, the links or frame IOO D permitting of sufficientmovement to allow the mattress or bed-bottom to be folded.

In some caseswhere a great strainis desired the nuts J could be used inaddition to the draw-bolt E 5 but-for general use the draw-bolt E willbe found sufficient.

By using the method of drawing herein shown and described it will beseen that the end piece or support can be rigidly secured in positionand the mattress be drawn toward the end piece or support, straining themattress to anydesired degree,and this straining will be accomplishedmore readily and easily than in the usual manner by moving the end pieceor support.

1f desired, the link or frame and draw-bolt, with oonnection,could beused at both ends of the mattress. The couplingrod could be dispensedwith and the mattress be attached by the links C and eyebolts Gr byinterlocking them 3. Awire mattress or bed-bottom, A, having its endscovered by a binding, B,in combination with the attaching and sustaininghooks or links C, for suspending the mattress, substantially as setforth.

4. Awire mattress or bed-bottom, A,baving its ends flattened and coveredby a binding, B, and provided with the tie or strengthening rods b c,incombination with the attachingand sustaining hooks or links C,forsuspendin g the mattress and su pportingthe same under strain,substantially as specified.

5. The tie or strengthening rods c, in combination with the flattenedand bound ends a of a Wire mattress or bed-bottom and the attaching andretaining hooks C,t'or suspending the mattress, substantially as and forthe purpose specified.

6. The links or frames D,drawbolts E, and nuts F, in combination withthe links or hooks C and the rod c, and a wire mattress or bedbottom, A,for straining the mattress,suhstan tially as specified.

7. The frame or link D, draw-bolt E, nut F, and eye G, in combinationwith the links or hooks C and wire mattress A, for attaching themattress and drawingit taut, substantially as specified.

8. The frame or link D, draw-bolt E, and nut F, in combination withthelink or hook G, binding B, and mattress A, substantially as and forthe purposes specified.

9. The frame or link D, draw-bolt E, nut F, and eye G, in combinationwith the link O,rod c, binding B, and wire mattress A, 'substantially asand for the purposes specified.

10. The Wire mattress Aand binding B, in combination With-tbe links orhooks C, tie or coupling rods H, and eyes G, for attaching the mattressto the end rail or support, substantially as spccied. y

11. The wire mattress A, having its end flattened and bound by abinding, B, provided with a tie or strengthening rod, c, in combinationwith the hooks or links G, coupling or tie rod H, and eyes G,substantially as and 'or the purpose specified.

12. The nuts J and links or hooks C, iu combination with the wiremattress A and binding B, substantially as and for the purposespecitied.

ALEXR. W. STEWART.

Witnesses:

MARIE S. PRICE, A. H. ADAMS,

